Pawar has said that dillusion against PM Narendra Modi has begun in the country.

He points out one stark difference – Jayaprakash Narayan – a leader who was the guiding force behind all others.

Comparing the current political climate to that of the 1975-77 Emergency era, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has said that dillusion against PM Narendra Modi has begun in the country. Drawing parallels between the two situations, Pawar told Hindustan Times that Modi too has a control over press like former PM Indira Gandhi. Like today, people didn’t have an alternate at that time too, Pawar said.

However, he points out one stark difference – Jayaprakash Narayan – a leader who was the guiding force behind all others. In 1975, political leaders worked as per his advice which made them forget about their personal interests.

Here, Pawar also suggested what could be the uniting factor for Opposition parties this time. The NCP chief says that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and he himself can take up the task of uniting the Opposition. Pawar added that these three leaders, including him, are ones with high stature and “no ambition to become Prime Minister”.

The leader said that crucial question that who could be the prime ministerial candidate should be left for after the elections. Pawar said that three leaders should work to unite the Opposition and campaign throughout the country.

In a first, Pawar said that he is ready to ally with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party in the state of Maharashtra. The leader said that while he had not discussed the issue with BSP chief Mayawati, he would be ‘happy’ since this association will pay dividends.

The Opposition parties have been unable to reach a consensus on who their prime ministerial candidate will be if an alliance takes place before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, the rhetoric of deciding a name after the elections is making rounds for quite some time now. Pawar too has suggested the same.